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ARS Home » Plains Area » Miles City, Montana » Livestock and Range Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #360556

Title: Not a melting pot: Plant species aggregate in their non-native range

Author
item STOTZ, GISELA - University Of Alberta
item CAHILL JR, JAMES - University Of Alberta
item BENNETT, JONATHAN - University Of Alberta
item CARLYLE, CAMERON - University Of Alberta
item BORK, EDWARD - University Of Alberta
item ASKARIZADEH, DIANA - University Of Tehran
item BARTHA, SANDOR - Institute For Advanced Studies
item BEIERKUHNLEIN, CARL - University Of Bayreuth
item BOLDGIV, BAZARTSEREN - National University Of Mongolia
item BROWN, LESLIE - University Of South Africa
item CABIDO, MARCELO - Universidad Nacional De Cordoba
item CAMPETELLA, GIANDIEGO - Università Degli Studi Di Camerino
item CHELLI, STEFANO - Università Degli Studi Di Camerino
item COHEN, OFER - Tel Aviv University
item DIAZ, SANDRA - Universidad Nacional De Cordoba
item ENRICO, LUCAS - Universidad Nacional De Cordoba
item ENSING, DAVID - Queen'S University - Canada
item ERDENETSETSEG, BATDELGER - National University Of Mongolia
item FIDELIS, ALESSANDRA - Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)
item GARRIS, HEATH - Covenant College
item HENRY, HUGH - University Of Western Ontario
item JENTSCH, ANKE - University Of Bayreuth
item JOURI, MOHAMMAD - Islamic Azad University
item KOOREM, KADRI - University Of Tartu
item MANNING, PETER - Senckenberg German Entomological Institute
item MITCHELL, RANDALL - University Of Akron
item MOORA, MARI - University Of Tartu
item OVERBECK, GERHARD - Federal University Of Rio Grande Do Sul
item PITHER, JASON - University Of British Columbia
item Reinhart, Kurt
item STERNBERG, MARCELO - Tel Aviv University
item TUNGALAG, RADNAAKHAND - National University Of Mongolia
item UNDRAKHBOLD, SAINBILEG - National University Of Mongolia
item VAN ROOYEN, MARGARETHA - University Of Pretoria
item WELLSTEIN, CAMILLA - Free University Of Bozen-Bolzano
item ZOBEL, MARTIN - University Of Tartu
item FRASER, LAUCHLAN - Thompson Rivers University

Submitted to: Global Ecology and Biogeography
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/20/2019
Publication Date: 12/19/2019
Citation: Stotz, G.C., Cahill Jr, J.F., Bennett, J.A., Carlyle, C.N., Bork, E.W., Askarizadeh, D., Bartha, S., Beierkuhnlein, C., Boldgiv, B., Brown, L., Cabido, M., Campetella, G., Chelli, S., Cohen, O., Diaz, S., Enrico, L., Ensing, D., Erdenetsetseg, B., Fidelis, A., Garris, H.W., Henry, H.A., Jentsch, A., Jouri, M.H., Koorem, K., Manning, P., Mitchell, R., Moora, M., Overbeck, G.E., Pither, J., Reinhart, K.O., Sternberg, M., Tungalag, R., Undrakhbold, S., van Rooyen, M., Wellstein, C., Zobel, M., Fraser, L.H. 2019. Not a melting pot: Plant species aggregate in their non-native range. Global Ecology and Biogeorgraphy. 29:482-490. https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.13046.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.13046

Interpretive Summary: Using a worldwide, multi-site field-study of herbaceous grassland communities we show that alien species are more likely to occupy species-poor communities of relatively high plant biomass in their introduced range. Further, alien species co-occurred with fewer native species, but with a higher number of alien species in their introduced, compared to their native range. These patterns of association observed were not a property of the species or dependent on invasive status, but rather, they were inherent properties of being introduced away from the native range. Although alien species generally associated with low native species richness, their aggregation did not result in further declines in native species richness. Overall, our results suggest that alien species tend to aggregate rather than randomly assimilate into native communities, thus creating mosaics of alien vs. native-rich communities.

Technical Abstract: Using a worldwide, multi-site field-study of herbaceous grassland communities we show that alien species are more likely to occupy species-poor communities of relatively high plant biomass in their introduced range. Further, alien species co-occurred with fewer native species, but with a higher number of alien species in their introduced, compared to their native range. These patterns of association observed were not a property of the species or dependent on invasive status, but rather, they were inherent properties of being introduced away from the native range. Although alien species generally associated with low native species richness, their aggregation did not result in further declines in native species richness. Overall, our results suggest that alien species tend to aggregate rather than randomly assimilate into native communities, thus creating mosaics of alien vs. native-rich communities.